The present invention relates generally to fuel tanks for vehicles and, more particularly, to a fuel pump module assembly for a fuel tank of a vehicle.
It is known to provide a fuel tank for a vehicle to hold fuel to be used by an engine of the vehicle. In some vehicles, the fuel tank includes a fuel pump module disposed therein with a removable cover sealed to the top of the fuel tank having an electrical connector and a fuel line outlet connector. The fuel pump module includes a fuel reservoir, an electrical fuel pump disposed in the reservoir with an inlet (not shown) at a bottom thereof and a secondary pump used to fill the reservoir to overfilling.
An example of a fuel pump module is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,218,942 to Coha et al. In this patent, the fuel pump module includes a fuel pump disposed in the reservoir, a low pressure conduit conducting hot return fuel back to the reservoir, a secondary pump disposed in the reservoir for pumping new fuel from the fuel tank into the reservoir, and a control which effects a recirculation mode of secondary pump operation when the new fuel level in the fuel tank is above a predetermined low level and a scavenge mode of secondary pump operation when the new fuel level in the reservoir is below the predetermined low level. The secondary pump includes a high-pressure jet pump having consistent flow and a float mechanism to switch the jet pump from drawing external fuel to the reservoir and vice versa.
Typically, the jet pump has an orifice molded therein that has the potential for flash at the orifice and for a plugged orifice. Alternatively, the jet pump may include a separate piece molded nozzle which press fits into a jet pump body. However, none of the nozzles in these jet pumps are press fit in the direction of pressure.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a new fuel pump module for a fuel tank of a vehicle. It is also desirable to provide a fuel pump module having a one-piece jet pump for fuel tank of a vehicle that achieves similar performance as a separate pressed in nozzle while reducing cost, investment and failure modes. It is further desirable to provide a fuel pump module having a jet pump for a fuel tank of a vehicle that has no moving or extra parts.
It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide a new fuel pump module assembly for a fuel tank of a vehicle.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a fuel pump module assembly having a one-piece jet pump for a fuel tank of a vehicle.
To achieve the foregoing objects, the present invention is a fuel pump module assembly for a fuel tank in a vehicle including a reservoir adapted to be disposed in the fuel tank having a top defining an overflow fuel level of the reservoir. The fuel pump module assembly also includes a conduit conducting return fuel from an engine of the vehicle to the reservoir and a one-piece jet pump disposed in the reservoir and having an inlet operatively connected to the conduit. The jet pump has a nozzle to discharge fuel into the reservoir.
One advantage of the present invention is that a fuel pump module assembly is provided for a fuel tank in a vehicle. Another advantage of the present invention is that the fuel pump module assembly incorporates a one-piece jet pump, reducing cost and eliminating excess componentry. Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the fuel pump module assembly integrates a one-piece jet pump that improves quality because the molded nozzle will not be subject to problems associated with molding flash. Still another advantage of the present invention is that the fuel pump module assembly improves performance because the molded nozzle reduces the return line backpressure. A further advantage of the present invention is that the fuel pump module assembly reduces investment because the jet pump is easily converted to a high-pressure jet pump by accepting a separate piece orifice. Yet a further advantage of the present invention is that the fuel pump module assembly has a one-piece jet pump that achieves the same performance as a separate pressed in nozzle while reducing cost and investment and eliminating failure modes.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated, as the same becomes better understood, after reading the subsequent description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.